USDA Seeks Nominees for the Potato Board

Date
Friday, April 8, 2016 - 9:30am

Release No.: 073-16

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the United States Potato Board (Board).  Prospective nominees must submit completed applications by July 1, 2016.  Selected representatives will serve three-year terms.

The board is composed of producers, importers and a public member.  The board expects to fill a total of 61 open seats for producers and importers from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Nominations for producer members are submitted by potato producers in the various states. Importers nominate importer members, and the board nominates the public member.  USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the research and promotion programs.  Approximately one-third of the board is appointed each year.  Producer members must produce five or more acres of potatoes to be eligible to serve. The appointees will replace members whose terms expire Feb. 28, 2017, as well as fill currently vacant seats.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, were authorized by Congress and date back to 1966.  Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards.  They empower agricultural industries by establishing a framework for them to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities.  AMS provides oversight, helping to ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

The United States Potato Board meets regularly to plan promotion, marketing and research activities that benefit the industry.  The national program, which became effective in 1971, is industry-funded and supports domestic and international marketing and promotion of United States potatoes.

For more information or a nomination form, please contact Alexandra Grimm, Potatoes USA Industry Relations Manager, by phone at (303) 369-7783, or by email at: agrimm@potatoesusa.com

Visit the United States Potato Board’s website at www.potatoesusa.com for more information about the Board.

Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter @USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).